Butterfly in a Lion's Den
by ARaeOfSunshine
Summary: When Scarlett JoAnn runs away from her former life in Chicago after her father dies she ends up in Franklin County in search of some land that her father had inherited. She happens upon Blackwater Station and finds out that fate has much more in store for her in the form of Forrest Bondurant. Forrest/OC
1. Finding Blackwater Station

**Of course, I'm gonna say that I don't own any of these characters besides my OC and they only belong to their respective owners. Yada-yada-yada.**

Scarlette JoAnn Williams was not your normal twenty-one year old miss. Though her face was soft and friendly like her late mother's once was, she had a fire running through her veins that made her just as adventurous as her father. Being raised by a single father who didn't have the time to fret over whether certain activities were too masculine for his daughter, Scarlett Jo was raised, as their neighbors and customers always said, to "run wild". So no one was exactly surprised that when her father, Jesse Williams, met his untimely death, instead of finding a haven among close family members she slipped away into the night before anyone could tell her otherwise. Though eyebrows were raised no one thought that anything suspicious was the cause for the pretty, green-eyed daughter of the convenient store owner to run away into the country in pursuit of rumors that he had once inherited a small tract of land in the countryside of Virginia.

As for Scarlett Jo, she was slowly feeling the unease of living in the crowded streets of Chicago drifting away as the scenery around her cheap, old car changed into rolling hills and green forests. Her long auburn hair was pinned back from her face but the loose curls were flapping wildly in the wind that was coming through the open windows. The sunglasses perched on her nose that were a gift from her cousin Margaret hid her soft green eyes from the blazing sun overhead. With a content sigh she lifted her arm up and out the window, letting the warm early afternoon air slide through her fingers.

After a moment the road seemed to become more weathered as if it was used more often and trees started to fill up the land surrounding the road. Scarlett started to see shacks and small farm houses littering the landscape and a small sign announced that she was entering Franklin County. She had reached her final destination. After estimating the time of day as around two o'clock in the afternoon, she decided that before entering the town she would stop to fill up the old Model-T that her father had bought her on credit a couple of weeks before he passed. Up ahead she saw a rickety post saying that a "Blackwater Station" was located a little ways ahead on her left.

Pulling into the gravel driveway she brought the vehicle to smooth stop in front of the loan gas pump, hopped out, and looked around. She held her pale yellow dress in her right hand in keep it from dragging in the dirt too much. At first she didn't see anything in the area outside the building. But when she heard a scuffling noise to her right and turned her head, Scarlett saw a scrawny young man come hobbling from around the corner on the porch that almost completely surrounded the building. He looked slightly surprised to see her slight frame standing next to the filling station almost as if he were expecting a drunken, old man or one of the weathered women that inhabited the shacks that Scarlett had seen driving into the county.

"Good afternoon, miss." The young man said quickly after he recovered from the shock of seeing an unfamiliar, pretty face standing in front of Blackwater Station and hurried down the front steps. Scarlett smiled sweetly and gestured to the contraption that she had parked next to.

"Good afternoon. I'm sorry to be a bother, but could I get a hand with this gas pump. You see, up until now I've only had to stop in stations where you did not have to service yourself and I'm not quite sure how these things go, if you know what I mean." Her crisp accent starkly contrasted that of the garbled, backwoods Virginia dialect of the young man in front of her. Scarlett noticed that his blonde hair was greasy and his clothes, arms, and hands were caked with dry dirt but a large, friendly smile was plastered across his face.

"Of course. I'm Cricket, by the way." He said, wiping his hands self-consciously on his overalls before extending his hand to hers. Scarlett removed her sunglasses and swept a few loose curls away from her porcelain face before taking his hand firmly in hers.

"I'm Scarlett JoAnn Williams. Nice to meet you, Cricket." She said pleasantly before releasing his hand and stepping out of his way. With a limp evident in his walk, he hobbled quickly over to the gas pump and began to busy himself with filling the old Model-T.

"That's quite a mouthful of a name. Got anything shorter?" Cricket teased playfully and Scarlett felt herself relax next to the young man who looked around the same age as she and like he hadn't laid a finger to hurt anything in his entire life. She chuckled before nodding and moved to lean against the side of the black vehicle.

"Everyone where I'm from calls me Scarlett Jo." She answered smoothly, and looked down to see Cricket staring up at her delicate features.

"And where might that be?" He said conversationally as the gas slowly started pumping into the fuel tank. He didn't see the small moment of unease in Scarlett Jo's eyes before she slipped her sunglasses back on her face.

"Chicago, actually. My father passed away recently, but not before he told me that there was some land down here in his family's name that no one has a claim over. I'm thinking of maybe staying here for a while." Scarlett Jo answered, turning her head as she caught a whiff of cooking meat coming from inside the old building. Suddenly she heard her stomach growling quite loudly at the prospect of having a hot meal. Cricket laughed good-heartedly and nodded his head towards the building.

"I'm sorry to hear about your pa, but if you're hungry you can go on inside and grab a meal from Maggie. She makes some of the best coffee in the county. I'll finish up with filling up your vehicle here and you can leave your payment inside with Maggie after you eat." Cricket suggested and his eyes seemed to light up with amazement when Scarlett Jo's pretty face illuminated with the thought of a good cup of coffee. Her father had taught her to appreciate some of the finer things in life such as good coffee.

"I think I may do that. Thank you for your help, Cricket, and it was nice to meet you. I hope I can see you around again some time." Scarlett said quickly, smiling gently at Cricket before striding up the steps and into the building.

The interior was filled with mismatched chairs and tables and the decorations throughout the room were sparse. Scarlett Jo felt starkly out of place with her shiny, brown-almost-red hair and soft, pale yellow dress that brought out the milky quality of her skin. The small amount of men that were sitting around the room was in plain, dirty clothing and had somewhat grimy skin and hair. Scarlett quickly made her way to the counter that dominated the left side of the room when she caught several patrons looking her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl. When she took her seat, a beautiful, tall woman with red hair and lipstick appeared behind the counter and approached her with a tentative smile.

"Why, hello there. It's nice to see another lady around here." The woman, who Scarlett assumed was Maggie, said, clutching a coffee pot in her hand. Using her free hand, Maggie extended her hand out to Scarlett Jo who took it with a small smile playing on her lips.

"Hello, I'm Scarlett Jo. I've moved here from Chicago." Scarlett watched as the smile on Maggie's lips grew even wider. Maggie let go of her hand and set a small mug in front of her to pour coffee in.

"That's where I'm from also. Moved out here not too long ago to find somewhere quiet to get away to for a while. You don't seem to be too much younger than me either, actually." Maggie chatted pleasantly, pouring herself a cup of coffee too and settling on a stool positioned on the other side of the bar. The excitement of having someone to talk to seemed to emanate from the beautiful women that sat across from Scarlett Jo. She felt herself growing quite fond of the other women more and more as they chatted.

"I turned twenty-one this last July. That's so funny that you are from Chicago also, such a coincidence. Maybe you can help me find a nearby hotel or inn to stay in for a bit while I settle the legal matters about the land." Scarlett suggested, the two ladies leaning towards each other as they drowned out the noise of the southern men going about their late lunches.

As they talked, Scarlett Jo learned that Maggie stayed in a hotel in the town and she wrote down her room number so that Scarlett could inquire about getting a nearby room. Maggie told her a little about the town and county, offering to show her around the quaint shops in the city square. She went on to talk about the Bondurant brothers who owned the very station they were sitting in and how they were legends in these parts for being immortal. Maggie chuckled and rolled her eyes and Scarlett shared her incredulous attitude toward the rumors. No man was immortal, and Scarlett Jo knew that better than anyone.

"Well, there's Jack now, probably coming in for a coffee or the like." Maggie said, quickly standing and grabbing a mug to fill. Scarlett Jo turned and saw a young man stride purposefully into the room. He also looked around Scarlett's age and she was surprised to see that he didn't carry the rough exterior that many of the other men she had seen in the building, besides Cricket, seemed to have. She would have expected such from a man deemed invincible by a group of people like that. Scarlett Jo realized what she was doing and mentally kicked herself for judging someone she didn't even know.

"Hello, Mr. Bondurant." Scarlett Jo greeted him quickly when he came to a halt beside her, eyeing the unfamiliar but lovely lady that graced the bar of Blackwater Station. He tipped his hat after a moment of hesitation and glanced quickly at Maggie.

"Call me Jack. I'm not sure I've ever met you before, miss." Jack Bondurant said slowly and Maggie returned from a quick trip around the room to assure that all the patrons were taken care of.

"Oh no, Miss Scarlett Jo here has just moved from Chicago to take up some old family land. She was just stoppin' to fuel up her vehicle out front and I've been keepin' her with some small talk." Maggie said as she smiled down at Scarlett. Scarlett shifted her gaze back to the youngest Bondurant brother and watched him nod as he listened to Maggie's explanation.

"Yeah, I think I remember the magistrate mentioning something about the passing of the man who inherited that tract of land down by that creek across the road. Didn't think he said anything 'bout a pretty lady coming to claim the place though." Jack explained, setting his hat down next to Scarlett's coffee cup and taking the seat next to her. Scarlett smiled kindly at the stranger next to her and carefully lifted her sunglasses from the table to place on top of her hair.

"Well, I'm that man's daughter you see. After my father died, I thought that I would move out here to get some fresh air so to speak."

"I see. If you don't know of a place to have a good meal tonight, I bet Maggie here would like it if you came for some dinner. My brothers and I won't be in 'til late." Jack suggested before tipping back his cup of coffee. Maggie nodded quickly.

"That's a good idea. Are you free tonight, Scarlette?" Maggie asked, turning momentarily to start wiping down the counter. Scarlett hummed in assent and the two quickly made plans for Maggie to pick her up around 7:30 to have supper. Jack had to leave eventually to tend to some other matters, but bid Scarlett Jo a good afternoon before he did. Scarlett chuckled when he shortened her name to Scar and he explained that it was such a mouthful. Scarlett didn't disagree.

"Well, Maggie it has been so nice talking to you but I better head to the hotel to book my room. I'll be outside the hotel by 7:30 like we said." Scarlett eventually said and waved good-bye to Maggie before walking outside. She climbed back into the old Model-T which she was starting to hate more and more.

Scarlett Jo arrived at the hotel and was pleased to know that a room adjacent to Maggie's was open for her to use. She lugged her three large suitcases up the steps at the hotel and started to settle into her room. The room was small and quaint with pale pink wallpaper, white-trim, and hardwood floor. The bed in the corner sitting next to a vanity had a soft-looking quilt on it and there was a wardrobe with a dresser for her clothes. Scarlett set about putting her clothes away and picked out a light blue dress with white heels to wear to dinner tonight. After she had finished unpacking her belongings, Scarlett sat down in front of the vanity and studied her appearance. She dabbed some color onto her cheeks and applied a small amount of mascara to her eyelashes to make her green eyes stand out a bit more. She let her waves of hair hang loose like she usually did but pinned back the tendrils that often tried to cover her face. She put some small, dangly earrings into her ears and looked at the time. Almost time to meet Maggie downstairs.

Scarlett left her hotel room and wandered down the hall and back to the lobby of the building. At the desk, speaking to the woman that Scarlett had earlier was a peculiar man that was talking in a clipped and not at all polite tone. His hair was slicked back in more gel than Scarlett Jo had ever seen on a man and his manner of dress was the same over done attempt at refinery. His head turned in the direction of Scarlett and he stopped talking long enough to give Scarlett a long once-over. In her attempt to leave the room in a hurry she dropped the slip that she brought just in case it got chilly that night. A hand shot out before Scarlett got the chance to pick it up her herself.

"Now what is a lady like you doing here in Franklin County?" Scarlett couldn't help but think that the question sounded much more suggestive than it qualified for at all. A shot of anger momentarily raced up her spine for someone talking to her that way, but she quickly quenched it for fear of not wanting to cause a scene and took back her slip.

"Sorry, sir, but I don't see how that is any of your business." Scarlett said sharply, not wasting time on politeness if this man was not going to show her any. When she saw the look in his eyes darken, Scarlett suddenly wished that she carried around that pocket knife that her father got for her one Christmas.

"You better not be getting smart with me." The man said slowly and not so discretely moved his suit jacket aside to flash a badge that was pinned to his vest. Scarlett couldn't help but notice that a gun was also strapped to his waist. Her eyes flashed up to his but they didn't soften at this man who seemed to be threatening her. She eventually smiled sickly, sweet at the man and shook her head.

"I wouldn't dream of getting smart with a lawman, sir. I must be going now though. I have plans." And with that Scarlett hurried out of the lobby and into the night.

Luckily she didn't have to wait long at all for Maggie to pull up in her vehicle and the two ladies drove back to Blackwater Station. Maggie some pork and Scarlett Jo helped with the meal by doing her best to prepare the mashed potatoes. Her cooking skills were somewhat lacking since her father never thought to teach her such a task. He was too often dedicating his time teaching her how to run numbers for the store and how to stock the shelves the correct way.

Once the meal was finished, the two sat down on one of the small tables and chatted for while about anything from Chicago to what Maggie's favorite book was. Scarlett Jo's was her copy of the Odyssey which she often kept close to her in case she ever was bored. Not even forty minutes into their meal, the sound of a loud engine could be heard pulling into the driveway to Blackwater Station.

"Shit, I thought those boys were not going to be back until much later." Maggie groaned, getting up and heading back to the kitchen to prepare more food for the brothers that Scarlett presumed had just pulled into the station.

"Must have finished their business sooner than they thought?" Scarlett suggested a she helped Maggie clean up their plates that they had picked clean of food. Maggie lit a Camel and offered one to Scarlett which she graciously accepted.

"Something like that, I suppose." Maggie agreed and went about preparing more pork and mashed potatoes. Scarlett Jo was exiting from behind the counter when she heard the sound of boots clomping up the wood stairs.

"Now Forrest, I told you that we should have asked for more…" Whoever was talking slowly trailed off as two men walked heavily into the room and stopped when the saw a stranger standing next to their bar. Scarlett Jo offered her brightest smile and glanced at the door when Jack came hurrying in after his older brothers.

"Hello there again, Miss Scarlett. Wasn't expectin' to be back so soon, but that's alright 'cause it seems Maggie is cooking up some good-smelling dinner. Forrest, Howard this is Miss Scarlett Jo." Jack introduced her to them cheerfully. Scarlett looked quickly over to the men and realized that it must be the two older Bondurant brothers that personified this legend that Maggie was telling her about.

The two held themselves with an attitude that bespoke of power. The taller one had curly hair and when she offered him her hand he squeezed it firmly like his youngest brother had, awkwardly saying his name was Howard and that he was pleased to meet her. Scarlett nodded her head at Howard as he walked off towards the kitchen area and then turned to the brother that must be Forrest. He had his head tilted down so that the tip of his hat partly covered his face before he slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. She noticed that they were a dark blue. His solid and muscular build paired with his almost expressionless face and his mouth wrapped around a large cigar would normally have left someone intimidated. But Scarlett Jo just smiled sweetly and held out her hand again.

"Hello, Forrest." She said and after a moment's hesitation heard him grumble something that might have been a greeting. Scarlett watched as he slowly withdrew a hand from the pocket of his cardigan and took hers almost gently in his. At least it might have been if his hand wasn't so large and calloused. Unlike his other two brothers he didn't grasp her hand firmly but instead just took it in his and held it momentarily, let go, and nodded his head at her before slipping away into an office tucked away in the back of the room. Scarlett stood there a moment after he slipped past before returning to the bar.

"Don't pay him no mind, he's not one for talkin'." Howard said as Scarlett Jo settled herself into a stool and finished smoking her cigarette. Scarlett shrugged her shoulders gracefully and saw Howard eyeing her almost suspiciously from under his eyebrows.

"Where you from anyways?" He said slowly. Scarlett watched as he took a long drink of clear white liquid from a jar. She didn't even have to think about what it was and barely hesitated before slowly reaching her hand out. Howard looked up with a slightly amused look on his face before seeming to make up his mind and handing Scarlett the jar.

"Chicago. My father inherited some land down here." Scarlett replied shortly before taking a sip from the jar. As the burning liquid slipped down her throat her eyes squinted from the heat before she turned back to the eldest Bondurant and held out his jar. A smile played on his lips and he nodded before turning away to tilt back the jar again.

Jack, Howard, Maggie, and Scarlett sat at the bar while the boys ate their food. As Maggie was cleaning up she asked if Scarlett would carry Forrest's food to him in the office. She nodded and smiled at Maggie before picking up the plate of food and walking towards the small room with the caged window. Stopping in the doorway, Scarlett looked down at the Bondurant that was hunched over a ledger. She cleared her throat before she stepped into the room.

"Maggie had me bring this in to you." She said, walking forward and setting the plate on the table. Forrest removed the cigar from between his teeth. His hat was lying on the table so Scarlett got a better look at his profile.

"Um… Okay." Forrest said in what seemed to be his normal manner of grumbling. He pushed the papers cluttering his desk aside and Scarlett moved forward to push the plate in front of him. Forrest nodded again and she thought she heard him say a thank you under his breath. When he looked up at her before she left, a small smile spread across her face. His slightly bewildered look and the harrumph he gave before he turned to his meal only amused her more as she exited the room.

Maggie brought Scarlett back to the hotel with her later that night but made sure that she promised to come back to Blackwater Station soon for some more coffee.


	2. Out of Hell Itself

The next day Scarlett Jo woke up early and got ready to meet with the banker that was helping her sort out the legal paperwork that would claim her father's inherited land for herself. She slipped on another soft yellow dress and cream heels. After looking out the window and seeing that though it was still early in the morning the day was bright, so she slipped a hat on her head to keep the sun out of her face. Later as she was walking through the lobby, the lady working at the reception desk stopped her.

"Excuse me, miss, but is that your vehicle that is parked on the curb out there?" She said awkwardly as if she was uncomfortable asking. Scarlett looked out to where the woman was pointing and nodded.

"Yes, it is. Is there a problem?" Scarlett asked.

"Well, the owner doesn't want the boarders here to be parking in front of the building and cluttering the road." The receptionist said, her eyes apologetic. Scarlett Jo sighed and looked out at the vehicle that had been bought with the money that helped cause her father's untimely death. She had already been thinking about selling the blasted thing when she was on her way to Virginia just to get the reminder of her father's death out of her face. Scarlett turned back to the receptionist and smiled.

"I'm sorry about that, ma'am. I've actually been looking to sell the thing." She said pleasantly, pushing a loose strand of auburn hair over her shoulder. The women's eyes went wide with enthusiasm.

"Well, my cousin has been looking around for a vehicle here lately. I can see if he might be interested." The women exclaimed. She leaned down and pulled out a pen and a blank piece of paper. "I will write down your information for him if you like."

"That would be very nice of you." Scarlett said, her green eyes twinkling.

"Well, alright then. I will get that to him. You have a nice day, Miss Williams." The receptionist smiled one last time at Scarlett Jo and waved as she walked out the door.

Scarlett hopped into the Model-T that wouldn't be hers for much longer and drove over to the bank. She met with a plump little man that seemed very impatient about digging up documents that were decades old, but he eventually found them and had Scarlett Jo prove that she was indeed the daughter of Jesse Williams. The man seemed surprised that she had showed up with all the possibly necessary paperwork and the transaction concluded without a hitch with the deed to the land and small shack being handed over to Scarlett Jo.

Afterwards, as Scarlett walked out into the street from the bank she looked out at the busy streets of Franklin filled with men, women, and children going about their day and filling the air with their Virginian accents. She turned her face up into the warm sunlight and gave a sigh of relief and contentment. It seemed like she found a place where she could settle down for a little while and where her past might not catch up to her. Scarlett turned her head and looked at a clock in a nearby window and decided that she could have lunch with Maggie before going about her day. She was growing fond of Maggie and was excited that she had already found a friend in a place that she knew nobody.

She drove the short distance in a small amount of time and as she pulled up to Blackwater Station she noticed that Forrest Bondurant was sitting on the porch in a rocking chair and puffing on a cigar. An officer was standing in the driveway in front of him and seemed to be carrying on a conversation. Scarlett pulled off to the side and climbed out of her vehicle, lifting her dress so she could step out. The officer turned around and took his hat off quickly when he saw Scarlett Jo walking towards the station.

"Hello, ma'am." He said quickly, dipping his head. Scarlett flashed her pretty smile at him and stopped to shake his hand.

"Hello, officer. I'm Scarlett Jo Williams." She said sweetly, shaking his hand. The officer didn't seem to know how to take another beautiful, random woman standing in front of Blackwater Station with Maggie showing up only a month or so earlier.

"Please, call me Jeff. Well, I don't know what old Forrest here is doing to make all these pretty ladies come up out of nowhere." Deputy Jeff Richards said with a smile, earning an amused-sounding grunt from Forrest. Scarlett chuckled and shook her head.

"I actually came here to claim some land that my father inherited several years ago. I just got the deed this morning." Scarlett explained for what seemed like the millionth time. Her smile directed at the deputy didn't falter though. He nodded in understanding before setting his hat back on his head again.

"So you will be sticking around for a while then." The deputy said matter-of-factly.

"I think so. We'll see how things go I guess. Good afternoon, Jeff." Scarlett said before stepping onto the porch. As she passed Forrest, she locked eyes with him. A long stream of smoke blew out of his mouth.

"Mr. Bondurant." She greeted politely. He nodded his head at her as she walked past before turning back to the deputy.

Scarlett stepped into the station and was greeted with a hug by Maggie who had been sweeping the floor under the bar. After Maggie finished up with the sweeping, they sat at the bar side-by-side and smoked cigarettes, puffing smoke towards the ceiling of Blackwater Station. They chatted for a while before Scarlett grew bold and turned towards Maggie with a knowing look on her face.

"Can I guess something about these Bondurant brothers?" Scarlett asked and Maggie turned to her with a slightly amused but serious look on her face.

"Well, I suppose you can."

"They're moonshiners aren't they?" Scarlett blurted quietly, not wanting any of the handful of patrons sitting inside the room to hear their conversation. Maggie hesitated a moment before nodding slowly.

"I don't know if I should be telling you, but I trust you even though I haven't known you for too long. What gave it away?" Maggie asked curiously.

"Well, Howard was sitting here at the bar last night drinking some white lightning as if it were nothing even slightly out of the ordinary. But what really made me suspect on top of that was when I went in to give Forrest his dinner last night the numbers showing on his records for profits were way too large to be coming from just this station. Though that's not any of my business, but I couldn't help noticing. I also saw a ledger of names with sums crossed off and circled on it." Scarlett explained.

"So you know a lot about business numbers I'm assuming." Maggie said slowly, taking a sip of her coffee. Scarlett thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, my father taught me how to help run our convenient store at a young age and I had to learn all of that so he could focus on other things. I got pretty good at it after a while." Scarlett said conversationally. She leaned her head on her hand and looked at Maggie who was studying her discreetly.

"There's something about these Bondurants, especially Forrest. They are considered unlike ordinary folk around these parts and it didn't become that way by them being all gentle and polite. Some of the crazy, religious folks around here even go as far as to say that Forrest crawled out of hell itself to get here. And they treat him like the King of Fire and Brimstone when he goes walking down the streets of Franklin, scattering like flies when they see him coming. It's no different with Howard, though they do their best to keep Jack out of the violence." Maggie explained, dragging one last time from her cigarette before putting it out. Scarlett Jo finished hers also and thought about what Maggie said.

Though she seriously doubted that Forrest Bondurant clawed his way out of hell to be selling some moonshine in Franklin County, she could see the violence that seemed to ooze out of him and even the eldest Bondurant. Scarlett figured that to gain weight in a backwoods community like this that fear had to be used to convince others that you were someone worth respecting. She wasn't exactly naive to the ways of men using fear to get what they want. Scarlett turned to Maggie with a friendly smile on her face and shook her head.

"I don't think Forrest is slick-talking enough to be any kind of demon." She said and giggled. Maggie laughed and agreed good-naturedly before saying that she had to get back to work before one of the Bondurants came in and asked what they were paying her for. Scarlett Jo nodded and decided that she was going to look at what the shops had in town.

"Well, bring Forrest's coffee out there before you leave. He's been sitting out there for a while and is probably going to come in and get some here pretty soon anyway." Maggie said before handing Scarlett a mug. Scarlett said one last good-bye to Maggie and waved before heading out the door. Forrest looked up from the small notebook he had been writing in with a stub of pencil and eyed the mug in Scarlett Jo's hand.

"Here you go, Mr. Bondurant. Maggie just made it fresh for you." Scarlett Jo said sweetly, passing the mug to Forrest's large, outstretched hand. He made a sound in his throat before tipping back the mug. Scarlett turned to leave and started head down the steps of the porch.

"Hey, now." She heard Forrest say in a thick, backwoods voice. Scarlett turned back to him and looked at him expectantly.

"Maggie seems to like ya." He said slowly as if he was unsure where that statement was going. Scarlett smiled and rubbed the back of her neck absently.

"Well, I would say so. I certainly like her; we have a lot in common." She replied taking the opportunity to study Forrest's face as he sat there and seemed to think for a moment.

Facial hair lined his jaw and full lips drew Scarlett Jo's attention to his mouth. His blue eyes were trained on a lower part of her dress and Scarlett shifted from one foot to the other under his gaze. She couldn't help but think that a handsome face like that attracted a decent amount of female attention around these parts. Coupled with the fact that he was apparently powerful and respected, Scarlett imagined that plenty of the local ladies completely ignored the fact that the religious folk compared Forrest Bondurant to the devil himself.

"Uhh… You could come and help her around the station if you like. We're gone more often these days; said she could use some help." Forrest said, pulling a toothpick out of his pocket and lowering his eyes to the ground. Scarlett leaned against a pole that held the overhang over the porch.

"You mean like a job." Scarlett Jo said slowly, one side of her mouth pulling up in a lop-sided smile.

"If that's what you wanna call it." Forrest replied with a drawl, spinning the toothpick around in his mouth. Scarlett grinned and pushed herself off the pole to prepare to leave.

"Well, thank you, Forrest. I really appreciate it. I'm going to look around town, have a nice day now." Scarlett Jo said, heading down the steps.

She heard Forrest give one of his characteristic grunts and say, "Bye, Jo."

She didn't turn around but smiled when she heard the shortened version of her name.

When Scarlett Jo arrived back in town she took a couple of hours to acquaint herself with the town and visit some of the shops. When she asked a shopkeeper about where she might find some flowers to purchase, he directed her towards a small house where an Amish family grew food and flowers to sell. She had actually worked for a summer in a garden of a rich family in Chicago and had grown fond of caring for flowers and watching them grow beautifully.

At the small farm, she was able to purchase four young rose bushes that the Amish women put in pots for her to load on the back of the Model-T. Scarlett Jo had seen the red flowers and couldn't help but to think how nice they would make the outside of Blackwater Station look. But she would let them grow to be a little bit larger before she put them in the ground where drunken men may stumble over them. She would run the idea past Maggie first and of course she would have to ask at least one of the Bondurants, though she somehow doubted they would care too much.

She carried the pots up the stairs to her room where she set them on a window sill and wiped the dust off the small leaves that were sprouted from the step and blowing it off the flowers. Scarlett then watered them carefully and set about putting towels under the pots so as not to dirty the room. Afterwards, she moved around the room doing some last minute straightening that she hadn't done after unpacking.

Later on in the afternoon a knock came on the door which turned out to be Maggie asking after Scarlett Jo to join her and the boys in some dinner. Cricket was staying for dinner also and had brought up wanting to see Scarlett again after seeing her that first day. Scarlett hurried and changed into a different red dress that was cut low and showed off a bit of porcelain skin. It hugged her sides perfectly and Maggie commented that she looked nice on their way out to Maggie's vehicle. In the lobby, the same overly-fancy man that Scarlett had already met was just entering the building. He immediately directed a sickly smile at Scarlett Jo and stood in the two's way from leaving.

"You are dressed awful well this evening, Miss Williams." He said, his eyes running up and down her dress. A shiver ran down her spine and she gently laid a hand on Maggie's arm to signal for them to leave.

"I don't remember having told you my name, deputy." Scarlett answered, moving to walk past the man who was wearing a pin-striped suit and bow-tie.

"Please, special deputy. And I have ways of finding out things I may want to know." He said, grinning again before retreating and stepping out of their way.

Scarlett stepped away from Maggie once they had gotten outside and visibly relaxed.

"Who was that man, Scarlett?" Maggie asked, worry lacing her tone. Scarlett Jo waited until they were in her vehicle in front of the front doors to the hotel before she answered.

"I'm not quite sure, but I don't like him. That's not the first time he's tried talking to me too." Scarlett Jo said, twisting her fingers together as a nervous habit. The man didn't sit right with her and by the way Maggie was looking at her with concern he didn't with her either.

"Well, you tell me if he causes you too much problems." She told Scarlett before they dropped the topic and talked about the roses that Scarlett had bought. Maggie seemed pretty excited and agreed that it wouldn't hurt to brighten up the place a tiny bit.

That night Scarlett, Maggie, and Cricket sat down with the Bondurants for a healthy dinner that lasted for a couple of hours. Scarlett talked with Cricket for quite a while who happened to be sitting next to her. He had washed up a little bit for the occasion and Scarlett laughed good-heartedly at the conversations that he and Jack had about the big mobsters in the cities. She couldn't help but to think that they weren't quite what Jack was saying they were. He seemed to look-up to them in some ways which Scarlett couldn't quite understand, but she didn't judge Jack or Cricket for it.

During the meal Scarlett would sometimes make eye contact with Forrest who was sitting across from her as he grunted along with the conversations that were happening around the table.

"So, Forrest. I was in town today and found some awful pretty, rose bushes. They aren't very big yet, but I was wondering when they are if I could plant them in front of the porch." Scarlett said smoothly, looking at Forrest over her cup as she took a drink. Forrest stopped chewing the bite of food he had in his mouth for a moment before swallowing.

"Uhh…I don't see why you couldn't." He said after a while and Scarlett smiled brightly at him and turned to Maggie excitedly. After that incident Scarlett saw Howard looking at Forrest oddly before shrugging and continuing to eat his food.

Conversation was easy for the rest of the night though Forest didn't talk much, which seemed to be expected by the other dinner guests. At the end of the night, everyone said their good-byes before heading home. Scarlett gave Cricket and Jack a hug before heading towards the door with Maggie. As she walked by Forrest, Scarlett briefly laid her hand on his arm.

"See you later, Forrest." Scarlett said quickly and hurried after Maggie. She heard him grunt a farewell behind her.

That night, Scarlett lay awake in her bed and couldn't help but to think that some divine providence had finally decided to deliver her away from the evil that had surrounded her life in Chicago those last couple of months before she left.


End file.
